Master Zachary Wu and Zhang Anle both looked extremely curious, their eyes fixed on the Female Golden Mask. But Master Zhiqing's face was shrouded in gloom; he seemed to know very well that this Golden Mask was formidable.
"Oh, your two disciples look quite promising. So young, yet already so accomplished—among your Daoist sect, they'd count as experts."
The Female Golden Mask continued to speak in a low voice. Master Zhiqing glanced around, while at that moment, Zhang Anle wore a confused expression, his eyes revealing something more.
"The one on the left looks just like you, but the one on the right—heh, little Taoist, what you know now is far from the whole truth."
Standing on the right was Zhang Anle. With just one sentence from the Golden Mask, he seemed to suddenly understand something, his face showing shock.
"Anle, restrain your hostility. I've told you before, the resentment in you is too strong."
"Master, don't waste words with these people. The three of us—"
"Anle..."
In an instant, Master Zhiqing glared angrily at Zhang Anle. At this moment, Zhang Anle's eyes were filled with murderous intent—as if the Golden Mask had just seen through something inside him.
Master Zhiqing immediately raised the Chongyang Star Pole, pointing it at the Female Golden Mask. With a glance, both Master Zachary Wu and Zhang Anle moved closer.
"Wuju, Anle, today I may not make it out. You two—go to the ruined shrine and bring the corpse back. Remember what I told you before, and do your best to avoid it. Don't let that day come."
With just a few simple instructions, Master Zhiqing charged at the Female Golden Mask. Meanwhile, Master Zachary Wu and Zhang Anle, escorting Master Jin, left the scene.
As soon as they stepped out, they were blocked by several Masked Men. The two brothers joined forces and easily dispatched a few before heading toward the ruined shrine. As they left the city, I saw a blue figure flash toward us—it was a Blue Wraith.
"Brother, every time before, you were always the one to go first. But this time, let me do it."
"Junior, you?"
Master Zachary Wu watched as Zhang Anle had already stepped forward.
"Brother, Master said we have to bring that corpse back. My cultivation isn't as strong as yours. If we run into something powerful, at least you could still get the corpse and the ghost away. I can't. But killing me won't be so easy. Go now, brother—three days from now, meet me and Master at Luo Family Market. If I don't return, run, brother. Just run."
Master Zachary Wu's face looked deeply troubled as he gripped the golden talisman, then turned and ran with Master Jin.
On the path to the ruined shrine, a figure suddenly sped up and landed right in front of them—a Blue-Faced Man.
Master Zachary Wu immediately drew a peachwood sword and handed a wad of paper to Master Jin.
"If we're attacked, just release the ghost woman."
Master Jin nodded. Master Zachary Wu told him that he only needed to open the wad of paper to release Yvonne Yang.
Without hesitation, Master Zachary Wu charged at the Blue-Faced Man, while Master Jin ran toward the ruined shrine. For some reason, Master Jin was determined to reach the shrine.
At the ruined shrine, Master Jin saw Feng Liyun's corpse. He slowly opened the wad of paper, and with a whoosh, black mist poured out—Yvonne Yang emerged, howling in agony. The pain seemed long suppressed, now suddenly released.
No matter what Master Jin said, Yvonne Yang remained delirious. When she saw Feng Liyun's corpse, she cried out and threw herself onto it.
"Sister, open your eyes, please—look at me, I'm Yvonne..."
Yvonne Yang's memory remained at Feng Liyun's deathbed. Yet I noticed something: though she cried, her eyes held a trace of resentment.
Seeing this, Master Jin didn't know how to explain or what to do. His face was full of despair and pain. Just then, there was a commotion outside—the panic made him act quickly.
"Yvonne, your sister asked me to tell you—she said she'd wait for you, even if she died. She'd wait for you at the Bridge of Remorse. Don't be sad, go now, go..."
As Master Jin kept speaking, Yvonne Yang turned and smiled blankly at him.
"Sister, aren't you here? You're right here."
Yvonne Yang was completely delirious. She still loved Feng Liyun. Through my Specter Web, I gradually sensed that Yvonne hadn't forgotten what Feng Liyun did or said—she just refused to accept it, refused to remember. I saw strands of black Specter Web, some faintly tinged with blue.
Specter Webs are usually only found in Blue Wraiths, but some powerful ghosts develop them as they reach a certain level and start to turn blue.
Members of the Immortality Society came and took Master Jin away. The Taoist and the Red Mask Agent, who looked just like Old Wang, were also there.
"That Taoist is really impressive. I didn't expect the fight to last this long without a clear winner."
At that moment, I saw another Taoist—Zhang Anle—following close behind.
"Little Taoist, as expected, there's unfathomable darkness in your heart."
"Yeah, that's true. If you want to defeat my master, that Golden Mask won't have it easy either."
Zhang Anle said blankly, and the Red Mask Agent smiled.
"What about you? Aren't you worried about your senior brother? He's about to be finished off by my superior."
"Life and death are fated. My senior brother and I have long since parted ways, strangers now. Perhaps this trip down the mountain is a chance to learn many things I've never seen before."
I saw tears glistening on Zhang Anle's cheeks. He seemed deeply disturbed—partly worried about his master and brother, partly saddened by his own choice.
"What should we do with the ghost woman?"
The Red Mask Agent asked. At that moment, Yvonne Yang was smiling blankly, lying on Feng Liyun's corpse.
"It's not time yet. I've never seen a ghost woman like this—able to suppress her own ghost aura and become a Blue Wraith in such a short time. She's a special ghost. Maybe the Ghost Syndicate knows something. Let's go back and observe for a couple of days."
A day or two passed. Yvonne Yang sat motionless by Feng Liyun's corpse. The Taoist and Red Mask Agent came by to observe each day.
On the third morning, Yvonne Yang went into town and got two bright red bridal dresses. Then she took a rooster, twisted off its head, and hung it in the ruined shrine. She began to sing opera in a clear voice.
Gradually, Yvonne Yang set up a sanctum, dressed Feng Liyun's corpse in a red bridal gown, and changed her own clothes. She kept talking to the corpse.
Then Yvonne Yang sat by the river outside the shrine, humming from time to time, while the Red Mask Agent and Taoist watched.
"Looks like it won't work. It's a failure. The corpse is already rotting, and we still haven't found what we were looking for."
The Taoist spoke, and the Red Mask Agent nodded. They planned to burn the place, destroy the corpses, and kill the ghost woman. Wesley Zhang's corpse would be brought here, and they'd fabricate a story: Wesley Zhang, sick from longing for his wife Yvonne Yang, went to the ruined shrine to honor her sister Feng Liyun, got struck by lightning, and died there. The body would be burned.
I stared in shock at everything.
"No problem, right? I mean, he's at least a magistrate."
The Taoist asked, but the Red Mask Agent just smiled.
"So what if he's a magistrate? Even the Emperor, if he stood in our way, would be replaced."
That night, they poured kerosene outside the ruined shrine and brought Wesley Zhang's corpse inside. Yvonne Yang still sat, dazed, by the river.
The shrine caught fire, burning fiercely. Suddenly, Yvonne Yang, clutching Feng Liyun's corpse, screamed and ran out—just like I'd seen before. She devoured Feng Liyun, and her body began to vanish.
Tears—black tears—streamed from Yvonne Yang's eyes. The Taoist and Red Mask Agent watched, stunned.
"What is this? I sense a strange power."
The Taoist spoke as Yvonne Yang gradually disappeared.
"Little sister, are you alright?"
Suddenly, the scenery changed completely—Tammy Blade, the strange old man, and Vincent Swallow were there. Tammy Blade looked at the weakened Yvonne Yang.
Yvonne Yang slowly opened her eyes.
"Didn't expect her to be a ghost. Tammy Blade, something's off—the ghost aura on this one."
The old man spoke, and Vincent Swallow gulped down a drink.
"Careful, this ghost woman is unusual. On the surface, she's a fierce ghost, but inside, she's a Blue Wraith—she's hidden her ghost aura completely with her ghost soul. Ordinary methods can't detect her."
Tammy Blade nodded and touched the Hidden Saber strapped to her back.